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With a Flair for the Dramatic, Dallas Cowboys are Poised to (Hopefully) Take NFC East

December 24th, 2012 at 12:06 PM By Nick Sharp

Just as Rob predicted back on Friday, the Dallas Cowboys are in position to win the NFC East.

No sense in rehashing the Saints game, mostly due to the lack of importance it had on the outcome of the season. With both the Bears and Vikings winning this past Sunday, Dallas would've been hard pressed to earn a wildcard berth no matter what the outcome of this past Sunday's game was. It was a riveting, heart-wrenching, exciting game, but for all intents and purposes, means nothing.

We now look ahead to the Washington Redskins. For the 3rd time in 5 years, the Cowboys face a win-and-you're in scenario. It didn't go so well last year, as the Giants jumped out to a huge lead early on and the Dallas comeback fell short. It'll be vitally important for this squad to keep it close and do their best to win this game in the final minutes.

At this point in the season, you are who you are. The Dallas Cowboys are not a team that will dominate anyone, but they're also a team that has shown the grit and heart to never be dominated, either. This game will likely come down to the final minutes and who steps up and makes a huge play. The Cowboys offense will likely also be hard-pressed to get on the field again, as Washington has one of the best running attack in the league. Rookie RB Alfred Morris has torched defenses all year and shown no signs of slowing down. RG3 will be another week removed from his LCL injury and the zone-read option will assuredly play a big role.

A big factor in stopping the run will be the availability of Demarcus Ware. The banged up All-Pro will be out there if at all possible, but the all-star caliber play that we've become accustomed to from him will likely be mitigated. Guys like Anthony Spencer, Alex Albright, and Dan Connor will be relied upon to make big plays in the running game. Carr and Claiborne will need to play mistake-free ball.

All the cards are on the table. It's a one game season. Win and you get to host a playoff game. Lose and you get to host a playoff viewing party. It's all on the line for the Dallas Cowboys.